Racial Justice is Social Justice (RJSJ) Committee Member Search

Racial Justice is Social Justice (RJSJ) Committee Member Search

Racial Justice is Social Justice (RJSJ) is seeking committee members for academic year 2022-2023 to play a key role in our organizing, communication and action across campus.  RJSJ is a group of Fairfield University faculty, staff and students committed to leading change at Fairfield University in order to create a more diverse and inclusive campus. RJSJ is also committed to promoting ongoing dialogue on racial justice and to building our capacity to engage in this critical dialogue at Fairfield University.  We seek committee members who are passionate about our mission and keenly interested and ready to play an essential, supportive role in keeping our group and its mission moving forward.

About RJSJ

RJSJ’s formation was inspired by the activism and awareness raising work of a small group of Fairfield University students in response to the tragedies in Ferguson, Staten Island, and Cleveland. Their activism raised consciousness about racial injustice on our own campus of Fairfield University. RJSJ has met on a regular basis since December 2014 and several subcommittees have formed to articulate and facilitate several recommendations related to racial justice at Fairfield. Student activism combined with the grassroots organizing of RJSJ has led to several outcomes and initiatives currently in progress at Fairfield. In anticipation of hiring a Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion at Fairfield, we are organizing to prepare a culture of belonging and the supports necessary to actively support this role and our shared responsibility for this work.

RJSJ has several committed, long-term members and requires more individuals to bring our mission to life. We welcome and encourage interested individuals to join us to bring their ideas, perspectives and, most especially, readiness for action.  

RJSJ Work: Committees and Responsibilities:

Our group has identified 3 focal areas on which to center our work this year.  This work will be organized via committees with the following responsibilities:

• Safety (Creating a safe space within our campus community both physically, emotionally and socially.  Among the initiatives are to review, update and make visible group guidelines and to identify a designated space on campus to come and have these conversations

• Education (Anti-Racism as a pedagogy.  DEIB trainings, workshops and discussions on campus, led by our campus community or guests on an ongoing basis throughout the year).

• Recruitment & Training (Human Resources-related issues that set the tone for campus work and life and support DEIB policies and practices among faculty, staff, and students).

Responsibilities within these committee areas include:

•  Identify a chair or co-chair(s) to help organize your committee.
•  Note-take and post highlights of relevant discussions to a shared file.
•  Report out when meeting in a the larger RJSJ monthly meeting with emphasis on goals, actions and recommendations.
•  Meet bi-monthly at a minimum (with a larger group meeting once a month).         
•  Establish immediate, short-term, and long-term goals + related action steps within your committee.                 

To sign up, or for more information, please email RJSJ’s co-chair Clinesha Johnson, Psy.D. at cjohnson1@fairfield.edu to convey your interest in joining the committee no later than Friday, September 30, 2022.  We plan to hold our first meeting of the academic calendar in October.